


A Mother's Love

by ItStaredBack



Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: ALL THE FLUFF, Canon-Typical Violence, Don't mess with mama bear, F/M, Familial Angst, Family Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I'm getting cavities while writting this, Maybe future Vergil/reader?, Mother!Reader, Nero Needs a Hug, Past Relationship(s), Reader is Nero's mom, Reader used to be a Badass, Slice of Life, So Nero gets hugged!, Vergil gets slapped, Xenophobia, child!nero, childhood bullies, family love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:34:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23695507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItStaredBack/pseuds/ItStaredBack
Summary: Gently dragging a finger down your son’s cheek, you smiled softly as he turned towards the touch and began rooting. Guiding him to your breast he quickly latched onto your nipple and began sucking strongly. Venia watched all of this with a faint smile before reaching over and carefully brushing his cheek. “What will you call him?”Your tired e/c eyes continued to stare at the infant in your arms, determined to engrave this moment in your memory and you smiled your first truly happy smile since coming to Fortuna.“Nero.”
Relationships: Kyrie/Nero (Devil May Cry), Nero (Devil May Cry) & Reader, Vergil (Devil May Cry)/Reader
Comments: 34
Kudos: 192





	1. Chapter 1

The sun was setting as you stumbled down the narrow and cobbled streets of Fortuna. Thunder rumbled overhead as the sky grew darker and the few citizens who were hurrying home for the day glared warily at you, a stranger. Fortuna, while a beautiful city, was ruled by the Order of the Sword and incredibly hostile to any originating from outside the island. Ducking into a small alleyway off of the main road, you bend over and gasp for breath while cradling your swollen belly.  
  
The you flinch and pull your cloak tighter around your shoulders before retreating further into the alley as a pair of guards stride past with lanterns. By this time the sun has completely set and the only light came from the storm candles flickering in various windows. Heaving yourself off of the wall you stagger, exhaustion weighing down your limbs, and continue making your way through the streets. Your emaciated form shivers as the cold wind buffets you about, causing you to stumble again. There’s a loud _crack_ and the sky lights up for a moment before thunder booms overhead and freezing rain begins to pour down, soaking your form in seconds.

You slowly trudge up the street as you slowly approach your destination. Glancing at the weather beaten sign you climb the steps and knock weakly on the door to the Fortuna Orphanage. Several minutes pass before you finally hear movement from inside and the door is cracked open to reveal a woman appearing to be in her late thirties. “Can I help you?” She asked with a suspicious tone.

Your lip trembles. “Please… I have nowhere else to go.”  
  
Her brown eyes take in your soaked and shivering form, lingering on your rounded stomach, and they soften slightly. Swinging the door wide, she steps out and takes your elbow to guide you inside.

* * *

Two months had passed since that night in the rain and you seemed to have found a place for yourself at the orphanage. You learned that the kind woman who let you in that night, Venia wasn’t the official matron of the orphanage. She and her husband, Quies, were volunteers who assisted the elderly woman who ran the place. After speaking to her at length, the matron agreed to let you stay as a live in assistant since it was difficult for the couple to be there all the time due to their own young children.  
  
Your pregnancy made it difficult for you to play with the children, but you were able to draw on your faint memories of teaching at an elementary school to help the young ones learn reading and arithmetic and even though you couldn’t play with them, the children were fascinated by your belly. They would always ask to touch it and would be amazed when they felt the movement within.  
  
While the children and kind matron of the orphanage quickly grew attached to you, the majority of the townsfolk remained wary and even hostile towards you. Rumors circled the town as people speculated on the cause of your condition. You never said a word as you walked the streets with your head held high, personal pride not allowing you to bow in the face of speculation and slander.

It was a quiet day in early spring when things changed for you. It was early afternoon, and you had just put the younger children to bed for a nap and were teaching the older ones about Sparda and his betrayal of Mundus and subsequent rescue of humanity. Normally the matron of the orphanage would teach these lessons but the lingering chill of winter was causing her to feel every one of her eighty years and she had remained in bed that morning. You had brought her some tea earlier and had been touched by the sight of one of the three year olds reading their picture book to her as the elderly woman listened seriously. The matron waved off your concerns, telling you that she’d be “Right as rain in the morning!” before shooing you off to the children’s lessons.

After quizzing the older children on Sparda’s tale, you stood to wake the little ones from their nap so they could play while you prepared dinner when you felt a sharp pain in your lower belly. Gasping, you doubled over with a low groan as the pain left as suddenly as it came. All of the children gathered around you asking if you and the baby were alright when you felt another pain and wetness rushed down your legs to pool on the floor.

Ignoring the shocked exclamations of the other children you looked at the oldest, Haine, who stood up straighter when you said his name. You were taking slow deep breaths as you instructed him on what to do. “Haine, I need you to run as fast as you can to Madam Venia’s house. Tell her that my water has broken. She will understand and know where to go. Stay with her and help her with anything she needs. Alright?”

He nodded quickly and was out the door in a flash, excited to have such an important job. You looked at the other children who were still gathered around you in concern and you sighed before asking them to help you clean up your mess, insuring that they washed their hands _well_ after the act and having them wake the younger ones to go play in the yard. You ducked into the matron’s room to tell her what was happening and she was very understanding, smiling in a wistful way as she remembered her own children’s births.  
  
When Haine returned with Venia and the midwife, you were seated in the kitchen counting the seconds between your pains. They were still several minutes apart and you could somehow tell that the battle to bring your child into the world would be long and drawn out. Venia and the Midwife carefully guided you to your room and helped to change into a loose shift before having you lay down on the bed while the plump midwife carefully checked you over.  
  
She was quite cheerful as she declared you to be in excellent health before beginning to coach you on what to expect during the later hours of labor. Venia gave you a gentle smile before quietly exiting the room and going down to keep an eye on the children who were beside themselves with excitement when they heard that the baby was coming.

* * *

Hours had passed and it had quickly grown dark. You grit your teeth with a groan as pain wracked your body. Venia gently wiped your brow with a wet rag and you sank back into the pillows as the contraction passed. She had returned to your room after putting the children to bed and you appreciated the comfort that her familiar figure brought. Your pains were coming faster now and the midwife was optimistic, saying that everything was progressing smoothly. “Unfortunately,” The energetic woman said as she bustled around the room. “It will be quite some time before you’re ready to push so I would recommend that you get what little rest you can.” She levels a look at Venia. “You as well Venia, I know that you will be up and running after those children as soon as the sun is up. There are still many hours left, you know as well as I that childbirth is not a quick process.”  
  
Venia pursed her lips and glanced at you and you smiled tiredly at her. “Go. Midwife Elaine is right. I will try and get some rest and you should as well.”

The kind woman sighed and nodded. “I know, I just want there to be someone there for you during this. I will sleep in the spare room tonight and will take care of the children in the morning so you don’t need to worry.”

You nod and smile at her and give her hand a gentle squeeze. “I’ll be fine. Besides, I know that you’ll be coming in to check on me every thirty minutes.” Venia blushes and gives you a sheepish smile before quietly following Elaine from the room and shutting the door behind her. You sigh and carefully lean back against the pillows before closing your eyes in an attempt to get some sleep.

The next day passed in a blur. You had slept lightly, occasionally woken by a contraction, and woke to the sounds of excited children. Elaine had stepped into your room for a few minutes in the morning to bring you a bowl of plain oatmeal and during the afternoon Venia allowed the children to come see you for a few minutes. As the sun started to set your pains had noticeably grown closer together and more intense. Elaine had returned to the room and after a quick examination said that you would likely be ready to push shortly after dark.

You groaned. By this point you were already exhausted by both the pain and the lack of substantial rest. After she had ensured the children were in bed, Venia returned to your side and took your hand once more as another contraction washed over you. You gasped and let out a cry as you squeezed your friend’s hand. The pain seemed to last forever and once it passed you fell back against the cushions breathing heavily. Elaine checked you over once more before telling you that you would need to push on your next contraction as she situated herself between your legs.

When the pain came you were ready and began to push as hard as you could. When it passed, you were gasping as if you had just run a marathon. This continued for quite some time, the only sounds accompanying your pained cries were Elaine instructing you and Venia’s quiet words of encouragement. After a particularly long contraction something seemed to give, and you felt your child leave your body in a rush as you fell back with a sob. The cries of a newborn filled the room while Venia gently stroked your hair and Elaine joyfully cried “A healthy boy! Well done Y/N!”

The midwife carefully handed your son to Venia to be cleaned while she talked you through the afterbirth and helped you into a clean shift. Once you were reclining comfortably against the pillows, Venia brought the clean and tightly wrapped bundle to you and you got your first glimpse of your son. You held him in your arms and drank in the sight of the child you had carried for so long. The most noticeable thing about him was the tuft of stark white hair sprouting from his head and you gave a rueful smile. ‘Just like his father…’ You thought.

Gently dragging a finger down your son’s cheek, you smiled softly as he turned towards the touch and began rooting. Guiding him to your breast he quickly latched onto your nipple and began sucking strongly. Venia watched all of this with a faint smile before reaching over and carefully brushing his cheek. “What will you call him?”

Your tired e/c eyes continued to stare at the infant in your arms, determined to engrave this moment in your memory and you smiled your first truly happy smile since coming to Fortuna.

“Nero.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Made a few proofreading corrections. I am currently working on an update and I apologize for the long hiatus!


	2. Chapter 2

You hummed quietly in the orphanage kitchen as you prepared lunch for the fifteen children in your care. It had been five years since the birth of your son and you had completely adjusted to your quiet life on the beautiful island. The previous summer the orphanage’s elderly matron had finally passed much to the sorrow of all the townsfolk and after much deliberation from the church you had been installed as the new matron. While most weren’t happy with an outsider being in charge of so many of the younger generation none of them could deny the way you had with the children.

You had settled into your new duties quite easily and the children had bloomed under your care. You looked up at the sound of laughter and running reached your ears and a stampede of bright-eyed, sweaty children rushed into the room followed by a grinning Venia. You chuckled quietly before sending the children to wash up and giggled at the sight of Venia’s young daughter Kyrie dragging Nero along behind her, completely ignoring his complaints. Quickly finishing the sandwiches you were making, you scooped up the platter and placed it on the table along with pitchers of lemonade while Venia put out plates for each of the children as well as you and her.

After a moment, she glanced at you. “You seem happier.”

You pause. “I… suppose I am.”

She smiled. “I’m glad.” After placing the plates, she retrieved the glasses and started setting them out. “When you first arrived, there always seemed to be a cloud over you. You would smile, but it would never reach your eyes. I didn’t even know you could sing until I heard you with Nero a few weeks after he was born.”

You moved back to the counter and began to slice one of the large watermelons that you had gotten at the market the day before. “I took lessons as a child.” You heard Venia still behind you, painfully aware that she was completely focused on you now. You had never spoken about your past. “I had private lessons when I was young, then was a soloist in a choir once I grew older.”

You will forever deny the squeak that escaped you when the older woman threw her arms around you in a crushing hug. You did not _squeak_. However, you couldn’t deny your teary smile when you heard her heartfelt “Thank you.” She hugged you until you heard the sounds of the children returning and discretely distracted them so that you could wipe your eyes. It felt good to have a friend.

Small arms wrapped around your legs and you looked down to see the blue eyes of your son peering up at you. “Mama…?” He asked quietly and you smiled down at him. He could always tell if something had upset you.

You gently ruffled his hair, grinning when he scrunched up his nose and tried to fix it. “It’s nothing Darling, Mama’s just happy.” He inspected your face for a moment longer before nodding and trotting off to sit with Credo and Kyrie, who immediately began chattering at the white haired boy as her brother rolled his eyes and reached for a sandwich. There was a round of delighted cheering when you brought out the watermelon that you had sliced and you burst into laughter when Nero and Credo started an impromptu seed spitting contest with the other boys, much to the girls’ horror and disgust.

Gazing at the group of chattering children and the woman who had somehow become your best friend without you even realizing, you felt the warm glow of happiness build in your chest and you smiled. You didn’t know when it had happened, but somehow Fortuna had become your home.

* * *

That night you were sitting in bed reading a book about the time when Sparda ruled over Fortuna in an effort to gain a deeper understanding of the town when you heard a knock on your door. Lowering your book you called for whoever it was to come in and frowned when the door cracked open and your son’s face peered in. “Nero? What are you doing up? It’s far passed your bedtime.”

He pushed the door open further and rung the hem of his shirt in his hands while biting his lip. “A-Are you mad at me…?”

You set your book down and looked at him in confusion. “No, of course not. Why would you think that?”

He squirmed a bit. “Cause I saw you crying? And girls don’t like it when boys see them cry?” His answer was more of a confused question than a statement and you chuckled.

“Come here Darling.” He walked over to you, bare feet quiet on the floor and the door swung shut behind him. He stopped at the edge of the bed and you patted the space beside you. Nero quickly scrambled into the bed and you wrapped your arm around his small shoulders when he tucked himself into your side. “I’m not mad at you. Yes, some girls don’t like to be seen when they cry, but that’s usually if they’re sad. I was crying because I’m happy.”

He looked up at you with an adorably confused face and you fought the urge to coo. “Why would you cry if you were happy?”

“Crying happens when you get so full of an emotion that you can’t hold it in. People will cry if they’re happy, sad, or even angry or frustrated.” You tell him gently.

He thinks about that for a moment before nodding. “Okay… But what made you happy-cry, Mama?”

“I was just thinking about how lucky I was to have you and Madam Venia and the other children.” Nero nods again before letting out a yawn and you smile. He must have kept himself awake worrying about you. “Do you want to stay in here with me tonight?”

Predictably, he scowled up at you and you had to fight back your grin, happy that you know him so well. “Mama… I’m a big boy now! Big boys don’t sleep with their parents!”

You giggle and wink at him. “I won’t tell if you don’t.”

He hesitates, obviously wanting to give in but not wanting to seem ‘little’. After a moment, he caves and snuggles down under the covers as you switch off the light on the bedside table. You carefully tuck the blankets around him before lying down and smiling as he shifts to curl into your side. You smile softly and gently run your fingers through his soft hair as his breathing slowly evens out. You were just drifting off yourself when you heard him quietly speak up again.

“Hey, Mama…?”

“Hmmmm?”

“Love you…”

You gently press a kiss to the top of his head. “I love you too, Darling.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly didn't expect to be posting a new chapter so soon but this story is flowing surprisingly smoothly!  
> In this chapter we get a few hints to the Reader's past and more teeth-rotting fluff!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings:  
> Trigger Warnings, Bullying and mentions of suicide

“Am I a freak?”

You gasp and whirl around, dropping the sheet you were hanging on the clothesline. Nero was leaning on the railing of the porch with a solemn look that seemed out of place on the eleven-year old’s face. You press your hand to your chest and try to calm your racing heart as you bend down to pick up the fallen sheet, sighing at the fresh grass stains. It would have to be rewashed. You set the sheet to the side and turn to your son. “Nero, you startled me! Shouldn’t you be at lessons right now?”

He stands up fully and looks at you with an uncomfortable expression, nervously twisting his shirt and shifting from foot to foot. “A-Am I a freak?” He quietly repeats.

You stare at him in confusion and slight anger. “What? Of course not! Why would you say that?!”

He looks down and mumbles. “Some of the other kids… Not the ones from the orphanage, the ones that live further inside the city. Th-They said that I’m a freak because I have white hair and because I don’t have a dad.” He glared at the ground and sniffed, angrily wiping away the tears that had formed. “After that they pushed me and said that outsiders and freaks should leave and never come back.”

You sigh and dust your hands off on your apron before walking over to him and placing your hands on his shoulders. For a moment you marvel at the fact that he was almost as tall as you before looking him in the eye and speaking slowly and with certainty. “Nero, you are _not_ a freak. Having white hair or being raised without a father does not make you any less than them.”

He still looked dubious and you sighed before sitting in one of the patio chairs, indicating for Nero to sit in the other. He hesitantly sat and looked at you as gathered your thoughts. “Darling… As you know, I was born and raised outside Fortuna.” He nodded, unsure of where you were going with this. “What you don’t know, is that I come from a place with similar ideologies.”

He looked confused. “What do you mean?”

You shifted, looking uncomfortable. You really didn’t like talking of your past and this wasn’t an aspect that you were particularly proud of. “I was raised in a secluded town in the Appalachian Mountains called St. Edith. The town, while slightly more open to outsiders because of it’s prestigious school, was run by the town council and strictly Catholic. Women, while educated, were expected to remain at their homes and look after the children and household. Men, were expected to go out each day to do hard labor and bring home food to put on the table. While it was archaic, it was all those born in the town knew and other ideals were considered to be… sacrilegious.” You looked down at your lap to where you were wringing your hands in discomfort. “I know why the other children say such things because I used to do the same. Both of my parents’ families had lived in St. Edith for generations, my father was even on the town council. I had grown up being told that our way of life was right and that anyone from the outside was to be shunned, belittled, and made to feel unwelcome.” You look up and meet Nero’s surprised gaze evenly. “It was all I knew, just as it is all that the children of Fortuna know. I won’t tell you to forgive them, nor will I tell you that these are their parents words and not their own. While the parent influences the child, it is still the child’s decision to act on that influence.”

Nero gazed off into the distance as he processed your words with a frown on his face. His expression reflected your own discomfort and you had to force yourself not to shift uneasily. Wordlessly he stands and walks back into the orphanage and you force yourself not to follow, instead returning to the laundry. As you mindlessly removed and folded the dried laundry before replacing it with freshly washed linens your mind wandered back to your early years.

* * *

Though you were the daughter of a councilman, you were never _truly_ accepted by your father. In fact, he had told you many times that he would have preferred a son to follow him onto the council. In an effort to prove yourself to him you became the model child, the perfect daughter. You excelled in your studies and practiced your singing diligently, becoming the youngest soloist in the church’s choir. The townsfolk praised you, saying that God had blessed your father with an angel. You had basked in the attention, and grew to be quite full of yourself.

When you grew old enough, you attended the private boarding school in the abbey on the outskirts of town. The school, while exclusive, did take students from outside the town and it was the first time you had ever interacted with outsiders. You would sneer every time you saw someone you didn’t recognize, going out of your way to exclude them. You would shove books from the girls’ hands, belittle them, sabotage their schoolwork and would encourage the other girls native to St. Edith to do the same. While you couldn’t personally do anything to the boys, you’d spread rumors, encourage the native boys to shove them to the ground, and even bait them into getting into trouble with the teachers. You were the queen bee of the school and you made sure that everyone knew it, until… Lilith.

Lilith Michaels was a fair haired girl from Chicago who had been accepted into St. Edith Private Academy because of her exceptional musical talent and high grades throughout elementary and junior high school. When you’d heard about the circumstances of her acceptance you grew quite jealous, feeling threatened by her. Lilith was softhearted and sweet but not very confident and she quickly became your… favorite. You capitalized on her quiet nature and proceeded to bully her mercilessly. You would shove her in the hallways, sometimes ramming into her so hard she was forced to the ground. You’d steal her school work and rip it up in front of her. You’d sit behind her in class and whisper that she would never be accepted at St. Edith, that she was worthless and that her parents had sent her to the secluded school to get rid of her, and that she wasn’t worthy to step foot in such a sacred house of god. One time you even cut her hair off in the middle of class. She cried that day.

The sight of her tears made you feel powerful. The rest of the school quickly joined in on your extended bullying campaign. Her dorm mates would cut up her clothes with scissors, the boys would stuff garbage into her book bag, and the teachers turned a blind eye to it all. After all, they too were from St. Edith and an outsider needed to learn her place. The bullying continued for two and a half years and Lilith began to grow more and more withdrawn. She would slouch in class, hunching over to make herself small. Her once beautifully maintained hair now fell lank and limp around her face. She would flinch every time she saw you or heard your voice. She never spoke out in class, she quit the choir, and started spending more and more time hiding in her room. You were smug. You felt that you’d taught her where she belonged and that your hold over the school was secured. Until one day she didn’t show up to morning mass.

At first, no one worried. It was just assumed that she was feeling sick that morning and had slept in. While missing it was frowned upon, morning mass was optional. Then she missed first period, then second. By third period, the teachers were worried. They sent a girl to the dorm to check on Lilith only to panic when it was reported that she wasn’t there. A manhunt ensued. The Abbey and grounds were scoured with no sign of her and she wasn’t found until two days later.

The morning she went missing, Lilith had walked up the mountainside to one of the many cliffs. There –judging by the objects found (a bible, crucifix, and small goblet)– she had performed her last morning mass before stepping off of the hundred fifty-foot cliff. Her skull fractured on impact, killing her instantly. The town covered up the suicide and reported it as an accident. The story was accepted since falls of that sort were a common enough occurrence and life seemed to go back to normal. However, Lilith’s death changed you.

When you heard about what had happened you vomited. It was the middle of class on the day they found her, Sister Maria had been teaching the history of the protestant reformation when one of the other sisters rushed in and whispered in her ear. Sister Maria immediately paled and sat down as the one who spoke to her rushed out. Your teacher took a moment to visibly gather herself before she rose and addressed the class, telling you that Lilith had been found dead that morning. She went on to tell you that it had been an accident but somehow, you knew the truth. You’d attacked and bullied a girl until the point that she’d killed herself to escape it. You felt sick and promptly vomited on the floor of your class room before passing out. When you woke, you were in your dorm. You didn’t leave for the entire day, guilt and disgust eating you from the inside. You quit the choir the next day.

After that, your personality completely changed. Where you were once loud and confident, you were now soft-spoken and meek. You had once taken pride in your appearance, always being sure to look absolutely perfect, now you never tried. You spiraled into a depression and, at times, contemplated following in Lilith’s footsteps. Ultimately, you were too cowardly to do it and instead chose to live with your guilt.

* * *

After your conversation with Nero things were… strained between you and your son. While he didn’t know the full story, you could tell that the thought that you’d once had similar ideals to his bullies made him uncomfortable. You did your best to act normally, but you could tell that Venia was worried about you. She’d asked what had happened but you neatly avoided her questions by deflecting and changing the subject. After a few conversations of you constantly changing the subject, she eventually dropped the topic.

Nero had begun coming home later and later and the times he was home he seemed to be avoiding you. You asked some of the other children but they would just shrug and say that they had no idea what he was doing. You grew more and more worried, afraid that your conversation had permanently damaged your relationship with Nero until one day he came home just before sunset with a black eye.

You gasped and nearly shrieked as you rushed over to him. “What happened?!”

Your son kicked at the floor and as you grew closer you saw that he had a split lip as well. Glaring sullenly at the wall. “One of the older kids called you a whore…”

You froze. “What…?”

Nero looked at you, blue eyes still burning with rage. “One of the older kids called you a whore because you weren’t married to my dad when you had me.” He clinched his fists. “He was gonna say something else but I hit him before he could.”

You narrow your eyes at him, you had a feeling that the ‘older kid’ was older than Nero was indicating. “How much older, Nero?”

Your son had the decency to look sheepish as he muttered, “Sixteen…” and you sighed heavily.

“Nero–”

“I wasn’t going to let him talk about you like that!” He blurts out, interrupting you with a glare. “It’s bad enough that the other grown-ups do it, I’m not gonna let the other kids do it too!” You stare at him in shock. You hadn’t realized that Nero had heard some of the things said behind your back, though you should have realized that even though he was young, your son wasn’t stupid.

You purse your lips and retrieve a clean rag from the kitchen before wetting it and carefully dabbing at the cut on his lip. “I hope the other kid looks worse?”

Shocked blue eyes meet your amused gaze and after a moment, your son huffs out a laugh. “Yeah, yeah he does.”

You grin cheekily. “Good.”

* * *

After that short exchange you and your son grew even closer. You didn’t try to stop him from fighting, he was too stubborn to listen to you and you knew that if you said anything he would start hiding it again. You also felt slightly touched that he was defending your honor in his own way. While you would worry when he would come home with a new scrape or bruise, you would patch him up as best you could without a word.

In an effort to give Nero an outlet other than the other children, you spoke to Quies, Venia’s husband, and managed to get Nero into beginner swordsmanship classes with the Order of the Sword. Your son was easily the youngest in the group, as most of the other boys were fourteen or older, but he excelled in the lessons and you slowly began to see a decline in his fights. While he was still quite hotheaded, Nero now had an outlet to channel his energy into.

You felt a slight pang of bitter sweetness as you watched your son grow. It was times like this that he reminded you of his father. Both were full of bullheaded determination, even if it was for different reasons. Every day, Nero looked more like his father and sometimes you wondered if the man would have done any different if he had known of your, ah, condition when you went your separate ways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, got another chapter for y'all!   
> Here we get a bit more of Reader's past.   
> Now, I don't condone bullying at all and I get that this can be a pretty touchy subject for people. I actually drew on some of my own experiences with bullies for this. All I'm gonna say is if you see someone going through something like this, reach out. Don't just stand by.  
> As always constructive criticism is welcomed, lemme know if you catch a typo please! I hope everyone is staying safe and I'll see y'all in the next chapter!


	4. Chapter 4

The next few years passed quickly. The fall before Nero’s fourteenth birthday a hurricane hit Fortuna. While there wasn’t much damage from the heavy winds, the large amounts of rain softened the ground and caused several of the older buildings on the outskirts of the city to collapse.

The night it happened you woke to a pounding on the orphanage’s door. The worst of the storm had passed but it was still raining quite heavily. Frowning, you got out of bed and quickly threw on a robe over your sleeping clothes before making your way downstairs. As you approached the door the pounding seemed to become more urgent. You pulled open the door, slightly annoyed with whoever was calling, and gasped.

Standing there was Credo with an unconscious Kyrie in his arms, both soaked to the bone. You quickly ushered them inside, having Credo place his sister on your couch. You checked her over and were relieved to see that the only injuries she had were some scrapes and bruises and a rather nasty bump on the back of her head. You turn to Credo who stood in the middle of the room dripping on the floor. “Is she alright?” He croaked.

You sigh and hand him a towel. “She should be fine. She’ll have a rather nasty headache when she wakes up but that’s it.” You look at him seriously. “What happened, Credo?”

He runs his hand through his soaked hair and sits heavily in a nearby chair. “Th-The southern cliffs… Collapsed.”

You gasp in horror and clap your hands over your mouth. “No…”

He nods heavily. “Mother and father weren’t able to make it out.”

A strangled noise escapes you and you slowly sink to the floor. Your best friends, your _only_ friends, were gone. A sob escapes you before you can keep it in. You may have lost your friends, but Credo and Kyrie had just lost their parents. You manage to force back your own grief temporarily, there would be time to mourn later, Credo was obviously in shock and Kyrie injured. You stand shakily and make your way over to the distraught male and gently pull him to his feet. When he looked at you in confusion you gestured to his sister. “I can’t carry her myself.”

He obligingly picks the young woman up and quietly follows you up the stairs. You open a door across from your own and have Credo place her on the bed while you get dry clothes for the both of them. He was still standing there when you returned and you hand him the pile before taking him to your other spare room. He looks at you in confusion. “What… What are you doing?”

You give him another gentle smile. “You and your sister will always have a home here Credo. Not only were they my best friends, but Nero and I most likely wouldn’t have survived if it wasn’t for your mother.” He gives you a weak smile in return and you sigh. “Get some rest, things will work out. You’ll see.”

Quietly closing the door, you return to Kyrie and strip her wet clothing before putting a dry shift on her and covering her with the blankets. It’s only once you are within the safety of your own room that you let go of your grief, sinking to the floor and letting out heart wrenching sobs. Though your words to Credo had been hopeful, you truly didn’t know what to do.

* * *

After the deaths of their parents, Credo and Kyrie moved in with you at the orphanage. Kyrie was instantly beloved by the children who were drawn to her by her kind nature. Credo began dedicating all of his time to the Order and was rarely seen, only occasionally returning to sleep.

Nero officially joined the Order of the Sword at the age of fifteen, two years earlier than his peers. Several had protested his early knighthood, but none could protest his skill and he was reluctantly accepted. Though you worried for him, you couldn’t deny your pride when he approached you after the knighting ceremony. Your smile was blinding as you embraced him, careful not to crease his crisp uniform.

Kyrie, however, had no such restraint. She bounded up to him and threw her arms around his neck, causing the white haired male to stagger. “Oh Nero, I knew you could do it! I’m so proud of you!”

You snickered at your son’s reddening face as he tried to figure out if he should hug her back or just stand there. He had settled for awkwardly patting her on the back when you finally came to his rescue. “Kyrie, I think you’re suffocating him sweetheart.” She let go of him like she’d been burned and blushed when you giggled. Credo was the next to approach. Having been recently promoted to elite knight, his uniform was more elaborate than Nero’s plain white and grey ensemble.

The young man clapped your son on the shoulder and gave him a rare smile. “Well done Nero, this suits you.” Credo turned to you, clasping his hands behind his back. “I requested that Nero be placed under my command for his first few years of service. I’ll do my best to keep him out of trouble.”

You ignore your son’s indignant shout and smile at him. “Thank you, Credo. We both know how much of a hothead he can be.” You share a chuckle at your son’s expense. Nero glares at the pair of you for a moment before he gets distracted by other well-wishers coming to congratulate him. The both of you watch him for a moment before you quietly speak up. “They’d be proud you know.” Credo stiffens beside you and you smile sadly up at the twenty-two-year-old. “I know that you feel responsible but it was an accident brought about by nature, there was nothing you could have done. You did the right thing when you saved your sister.” You gently take his hand, squeezing it slightly when he looks down at you. “Have dinner with us tonight, Kyrie misses you terribly and Nero will be ecstatic even if he doesn’t show it.” He hesitates before nodding and you beam at him before leading him to where Nero and Kyrie were waiting.

As you had predicted, Nero and Kyrie were both excited to learn that Credo would be having dinner at the orphanage. You and Kyrie cooked a huge dinner while Credo and your son entertained the children with some light sparring. It was all the boys could talk about when you sat down to eat and while the girls pretended to be disdainful, you could tell that they had been awed by the swordplay as well. The evening was filled with joy and laughter and you went to bed with a smile that night.

* * *

You were in the market when you heard about the attack. You had run out of bread and milk, much to your annoyance, so you had to go into town proper to get some. It had been a fairly good day. While the townsfolk still didn’t like you, they were much more tolerating since Nero joined the Order. You were on your way back to the orphanage when one of the younger Order members approached you. “Matron Y/N?”

“Yes?” You asked warily, slightly alarmed by his serious expression.

“Your son and Kyrie were attacked in the forest. By a demon.” You gasp and make to interrupt by he continues before you get the chance, raising his voice slightly. “Both are alive and safe. Kyrie is unharmed though Nero apparently dislocated his right arm while protecting her.

You let out a relieved breath. “Oh, thank God… Where are they now?”

“Both are at Fortuna Castle. The Order wishes to question them about the attack and Captain Credo wished to check on his sister himself.”

You nod. “Thank you for telling me. May the Savior watch over you.”

“And you.” He bows his head slightly and walks away. You stand there for a moment with a deep frown on your face before returning to the orphanage.

Kyrie is the first to return. She’s obviously shaken by the ordeal and you make her a cup of tea before telling her to go rest. She tries to protest, saying that she needed to help you with the children, but you ignore her and gently but firmly insist that she allow herself some time to recover. She reluctantly agrees and retires to her room as you busy yourself with dinner.

It’s after dark by the time Nero returns. Wordlessly, the seventeen-year-old walks up to you and wraps his arms around you before resting his chin on your head. You hug him tightly in return for a few minutes before gently pulling away to look him over. His right arm was tightly wrapped in bandages and a sling hung from his shoulder. You blink in confusion. “I was told that your arm was dislocated.”

Your son shifts uncomfortably before saying, “We, uh, might want to sit down for this. It’s a bit much to explain.” You frown but oblige him, quickly making a pot of tea and setting out cups for the both of you before sitting next to him at the dining room table and looking at him expectantly. He hesitantly began explaining how he and Kyrie had been visiting the cliffs where she and her parents had lived when they’d been attacked by a group of demons. He had just managed to fight them off when another, stronger, demon appeared and attacked Kyrie. At this your son paused and bit his lip, a nervous habit he had picked up from you as a child. “I-I was too far away to reach her, but I tried anyway. As I ran towards her, I reached out a-and my _arm_ … It changed.” Nero unwrapped the bandages around his right arm and you gasped. The pale skin of his arm had been replaced with demonic scales of red, his fingers had become tipped in claws, and a faint blue glow seemed to emanate from the appendage. He curled his hand into a fist and continued his story. “When my arm changed, a glowing projection reached out from it and snatched up the demon before flinging it away from Kyrie and I was able to kill it before it recovered.”

You were silent for a long time after Nero finished speaking. You quietly sipped your tea, deep in thought. “Who else knows about your arm?” You ask quietly.

“Just Credo. He’s the captain of the knights, I couldn’t keep it from him.”

You look at him sharply. “Kyrie doesn’t know? Wasn’t she there?”

Your son shakes his head and blushes faintly. “She, ah, fainted.”

You giggle at his slightly embarrassed reaction for a moment before growing serious again. “Are you still a member of the knights then?”

Nero nods. “Yeah, I can fight with both hands so this doesn’t really make a difference. Credo also said that I’d be getting promoted to Elite Knight because I killed all those demons. It’s not happening right away because of my ‘injury’ but in the next couple of months.”

You smile gently at him. “That’s wonderful Nero. I’m proud of you, Darling.”

He gives you a weak smile in return. “I just don’t know what I’m going to do about… this.” He gestures at his arm and you inspect it again before coming to a rather simple conclusion.

“Use it.”

Nero stares at you blankly. “What?”

“Use it.” You repeat. “Who knows how powerful it could be. You could train, learn to control it.”

“Mom, do you even know what you’re saying?! I can’t just–” He stops at your raised eyebrow and has the decency to look slightly sheepish. “Sorry… Didn’t mean to shout.”

You smirk at him before speaking again. “It’s fine, you’re a teenager. I’d be more surprised if you _didn’t_ shout at me sometimes.” You sigh and finish your tea before standing and going to wash the teapot out. “All I will say is that you should, at the very least, accustom yourself to the arm. You never know if you might need it one day.”

He stands and washes the teacups. “I’ll… think about it.” With that, he gathers the bandages that his arm had been wrapped in and makes his way upstairs. You silently watch him go before sighing to yourself. You stand in the kitchen for an unknown amount of time before coming to a decision.

You focus and a blade slowly materializes in your hand. It was a delicate thing, a rapier made of silver with a slender gold cross guard. You inspect the blade in your hand with a frown for a long moment. It had been over seventeen years since you’d last held it. You close your eyes and relax, allowing the sword to disperse. Be it intuition or instinct, you felt like something had changed. Fortuna was balanced on a knife’s edge, and you planned to be ready when it fell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! I dunno what it was about this chapter but it fought me while I was writting it!   
> Nero has finally manifested the Devil Bringer! I think y'all know what comes next!  
> We also get a bit more about Reader, yes I know its vague. I promise you'll get more about her soon!


	5. Chapter 5

You gently shushed the more rambunctious children as you and your group settled into the pews of the cathedral. It was the morning of the Festival of the Blade and most of your charges were more excited about the promise of games and festival food. Once they were all situated you took your own seat while adjusting your hood. You didn’t like wearing it but you wanted to set a good example for the children. Glancing at the empty seats next to you, you shake your head in exasperation. Nero was _finally_ going to ask Kyrie to date him and in his nervousness had left the necklace he’d bought for her at home. As for Kyrie, she was standing off to the side of the cathedral adjusting the circlet on her head. She’d been chosen for this year’s Songstress and you couldn’t be more proud of the young woman.

Catching her eye, you waived and she shoots you a nervous smile in return and standing slightly taller. As the last few townsfolk trickle in you frown slightly and try to catch a glimpse of your son’s distinctive white hair but the chatter dies down and you’re forced to sit as Kyrie makes her way to the center of the ornate tile platform. She bows her head for a moment and as the sunlight begins streaming down from the glassed dome above she starts to sing. Her voice echoes through the hall beautifully and as the choir joins her she seems to grow in confidence.

The day she’d been chosen as Songstress Kyrie had rushed to you in a slight panic, bursting into the kitchen and speaking so quickly you could barely understand her. After you had gotten her to calm down and speak more clearly she explained her worries to you. She was worried about having such an important role in the festival and had been told by her mother that you used to sing. Interrupting her, you told Kyrie that you’d be glad to help her prepare to sing for the festival and she gave you a relived smile.

Smiling at the memory, you thought back to the weeks leading to the festival. Kyrie really hadn’t needed your help as she had an extraordinary amount of talent and her voice was beautiful. All you had done was teach her some breathing exercises and give her some tips on maintaining tone as she ran out of breath.

Your thoughts are interrupted by Nero sitting down heavily in the bench next to you and placing a small blue box on the open seat. You glance at him out of the corner of your eye and note his heavy breathing. “You’re late.” You mutter.

He sighs and adjusts his headphones. “Yeah, the demons didn’t seem to understand that I had a prior engagement.”

“You were attacked by demons?” You ask sharply.

Your son shrugs. “Don’t worry, I took care of it.”

“I _know_ that. That’s not what I’m worried about! I’m more concerned with the fact–” You’re cut off by applause and feel a slight stab of guilt for not paying attention to Kyrie’s song. “We’ll talk about this later.”

He grunts and crosses his legs as Sanctus begins his sermon. You stifle a giggle at his nonchalance and note Credo’s disapproving stare. You bite back a sigh. Since the incident that changed Nero’s arm the man had become distant. While Credo was still polite to you, he never visited the orphanage anymore and even his sister had noticed his standoffishness.

Kyrie’s boots clicked quietly on the stone floor and while your gaze was on His Holiness, all of your attention was on the young pair beside you. The young woman smiled at your son who shifted and put on his headphones in an effort to hide his embarrassment and your stifled snort causes him to glare at you. Kyrie is slightly taken aback at the exchange but the moment she sees the box sitting innocently on her seat and Nero’s growing blush, she beams. She carefully picks the box up and sits down holding it close, and you see your son trying, and failing, to hide a dopey grin. You fight the urge to coo at them before returning your attention to the sermon.

Sanctus preaches for about thirty minutes as Nero gets increasingly antsy. It’s when Sanctus asks for the congregation to join him in prayer that your son finally stands up. Honestly, you’re kind of impressed that he lasted as long as he did and don’t say anything. Kyrie, however, looks up. “Nero? What’s wrong?”

“I’m outta here…” He mutters and steps past her into the isle.

“But… It’s not over yet.” Kyrie protests as he starts to walk away. She stands up to follow him as he mutters something about falling asleep.

You sigh, about to tell Kyrie to let him leave, when Nero stops with a confused sound. You inhale sharply when you see what has your son’s attention. His changed arm, something you had nicknamed the Devil Bringer, had started to glow with a blue light. You stood abruptly and began gathering the children as you instinctively looked up towards the pulpit where His Holiness still stood with his head bowed.

There was a loud crash as a figure dressed in red fell from the ornate skylight with a crash and landed in front of Sanctus. Everything seemed to freeze for a moment before the male reached back and gunfire echoed throughout the cathedral. All was quiet for a moment before the man turned around, revealing the blood spattered on his face and the screams started. The knights began drawing their swords and running towards the male as the townsfolk fled.

You quickly scooped up the smallest of your charges and grabbed the hand of another. You were thanking every deity you could imagine that the ten or so children you cared for had instinctively formed a chain with their hands and you shouted for them to “Not let go whatever you do!” Noticing the large crowd struggling to get through the main doors you quickly ducked into another passage and exited the church through a side gate. Once outside you froze. The streets had been swarmed by strange demons resembling patchwork dolls. Patchwork dolls that were eviscerating people.

You quickly duck back into the open doorway and look at the group of scared children trailing behind you and take a deep breath before crouching down to their level. “Okay everyone, we’re going to play a game.”

One of the seven year olds, Jeremiah, speaks up quietly. “Wh-What kind of game?”

“You know Hide and Seek, right?” All of them nod. “What we’re going to play is kind of like a cross between Hide and Seek and Tag but instead of just the seeker closing their eyes, we all do. Alright?”

They all nod and you go to stand up when, Sarah, the little girl you’ve been carrying taps your shoulder. “What about Nero and Kyrie?”

You smile and gently stroke her hair. “They’ll be fine. Nero is strong, He’ll keep Kyrie safe.” She nods and hides her face in your shoulder and you stand and take Jeremiah’s hand again. “Alright everyone. Close your eyes and don’t open them no matter what until I tell you too.” All the children nod and close their eyes tightly before gripping hands again. “Now stay close to each other and be as quiet as you can.” With that, you peer out the door before stepping out into the street again.

You slowly begin making your way through the side streets and alleys of Fortuna. Demons were everywhere, you could hear their cackling mixed with screams and the wet sound of blades meeting flesh all around you. The children were silent behind you but you could see them flinch at the sounds and several had tears running down their cheeks. Biting your lip, you continued making your way back to the orphanage. You had to back track several times because of demons or rubble from the collapsed buildings before finally reaching the edge of the city.

You’d been lucky so far, but it seemed that your luck had run out. There were about thirty demons between your group and the doors to the basement of the orphanage. You gently set Sarah down, making sure that she grabbed Jeremiah’s hand before turning to the oldest of your charges who was twelve. “Carson, honey. I need you to open your eyes.” He does so slowly and looks at you. “I’m going to cause a distraction. When I do I need you to lead everyone else into the safe room in the basement. Can you do that for me?”

He nods, trying to look brave and you gently kiss his forehead. “I know you can do it. Don’t open the door unless it’s me, Nero, or Kyrie. Alright?”

He nods again, more sure this time. “Okay.”

You breathe deeply and stand up, summoning your sword. You give Carson a small smile at his wondering gasp. “Count to fifty before you go, then move as quickly and quietly as you can.”

You don’t wait for his response before stepping around the corner. At first the demons don’t notice you but as you approach, one spots you. Its screech is cut short as you neatly bisect the creature, flicking the greenish liquid off of your blade with a sneer. All of the other demons stop and seem to look at you and you smirk. Time to see if you still had your touch.

Your figure blurred and three more demons fell, the seams of their patchwork bodies neatly severed. You danced among your enemies, your rapier flashing in the sunlight. Each of your strikes was perfectly timed and precise and you seemed to be able to sense when a demon was about to attack you. You flipped and rolled and even sometimes used the demons themselves as a stepping point to avoid the rusted blades swinging at you.

You turned and neatly threw your blade like a javelin at the demon that was trying to edge towards the children that had begun making their way towards safety. The demon squealed and burst when you made a pulling motion and your sword flew back into your hand. You pirouetted away from another strike and focused once more on the demons. About half were dead by now and you weren’t even breathing heavily. It seemed that the training you’d been doing since Nero was attacked had paid off.

You gave a feral grin and dove back into the fray. You hadn’t realized it, but you’d missed this. It’d been years since you’d been in a fight, you’d almost forgotten the _thrill_ you got from it. You neatly dodge another attack as yet another demon fell you your blade and you felt a giggle bubbling up in your throat before you forced it down. No, now was not the time to lose yourself to the bloodlust. You had to remain focused.

After ‘waking up’, so to speak, you realized that you’d been dragging the fight on and you snap into focus, neatly disposing of the rest of the demons. You looked up and down the street, ensuring that you hadn’t missed anything, before letting your sword disperse. You quickly made your way into the basement of the orphanage and to the hidden door that lead into the safe room that Nero had built.

“Carson?” You murmured.

“Mama Y/N!” A muffled voice shouted and the door began to wiggle before you stopped him.

“No, don’t open the door. I’m going to go into the city.” You hear the sounds protest and continue. “There are a lot of people still out there. They’re scared and unlike us, they don’t have anywhere to go. I’m going to find them and bring them back here.”

It’s silent on the other side of the door and you sigh. “I promise that you’ll be safe. The only ones who know about this place are Nero, Kyrie, and me.”

“B-But what about you…?”

You smile gently, though the kids couldn’t see it. “You saw me fighting, right Carson? Even if I’m not as cool as Nero or Captain Credo I think I’ll be fine.”

There’s a quiet sniffle. “Yeah… Just… Promise you’ll come back?”

“I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heh, unlike the last chapter, this one flowed so smoothly. We are now officially into the events of DMC4!! Woot!  
> Now, I plan on following Reader's pov throughout this. We all know what happens with Nero and, to some extent, Dante. But what happens to the town? The people? Where does Dante go for the first half of the attack? That's what we're going to see during this.


	6. Chapter 6

You stayed at the orphanage longer than you would have liked, but you felt more secure after checking the building and ensuring that the children could defend themselves as best they could. Peering out the door you inspected the empty street before warily stepping out and locking the door securely behind you. Your boots were silent on the cobbled streets. Thinking ahead, you’d changed out of the formal attire you had worn to the opening ceremony. Instead of the shapeless blue dress and hood that was common around Fortuna, you now wore a thigh length, slate gray tunic over brown frictionless leggings. Your feet were tucked into knee high black combat boots and a thick leather belt served as a waist cincher. You haphazardly pulled your hair away from your face and secured it with a tie as you strode up the street.

It had been nearly two decades since you wore this outfit, and though it stirred feelings of guilt and remorse it was the best you had for this task. Your rapier hung from an ornate sheath at your hip. Though it took energy to keep summoned, you figured that summoning it at will would frighten the townsfolk instead of reassure and the drain was minimal. Reaching the end of the street, you turned back for one last look at the orphanage before taking off at a dead sprint for the center of town.

You’d only been running for a few minutes when you come upon the first group of demons. Your stride doesn’t pause and your sword is a blur as you pass through the middle of them. They fall dead and you continue running. You don’t pause until you’re back at the cathedral and you take in the collapsed entryway and what little you can see of the broken fountain. You smirk, somehow instinctively knowing that it’s Nero’s handiwork.

You sigh and turn your back on the destruction. You knew that the Order would try to get as many civilians as they could back to headquarters but the chaos of the attack would have scattered many of the townspeople. Those who were separated would have looked for a shelter that could be easily defended but was also recognizable and nearby. Scanning the city’s horizon, you spotted a tall spire jutting out of a copper colored dome, the City Hall.

The dome was easily spotted from most of downtown and was several stories high, perfect for a lookout, and the building had a large storm cellar where those living on the cities edge could shelter during hurricanes. The building was only a few blocks away from the cathedral, which made it the perfect place for scared residents to hide. You quickly, and cautiously, begin making your way toward it.

You were moving at a fairly decent pace, no longer sprinting but moving quickly all the same, when you heard cackling coming from above you. Instinctively throwing yourself to the side, an orange and tan scarecrow landed where you’d just been as a delicate spider web of red formed in your path. Cursing under your breath, you turned to look at your opponent. At first, it seemed fairly similar to the other patchwork demons. However, this one had its blade replacing one of its legs and you could tell that it was far more agile than the others. Two more dropped from the buildings above and several of the first type appeared from around the corner.

You look around for a moment and sigh before drawing your blade. “Well come on then ugly, let’s dance.”

At your words the demon let out a cackle and spun like a top before leaping into the air and bringing its weapon down where you were standing. You quickly rolled forward and out of the way before spinning and brining your sword up to slash at its back. You were relying completely on agility for this fight, your blade was meant for deflection and fast strikes, against an opponent with heavy crushing blows like this, you had little to no defense. You kicked your leg out and hooked your foot around the peg supporting the demon and lifted slightly while pulling and the beast fell flat on its face. Your rapier plunged into its head and it screeched as it died. Looking to the next demon, you stepped through the shadows and appeared behind it before swiftly beheading it. You fought back a giggle at the memory of using that technique for the first time. The one you’d modeled it after had claimed that you’d “stolen” the idea from him as you vehemently argued that you’d made it up yourself. You actually _had_ copied the ability from him, you just didn’t want him to have the satisfaction of knowing he was right. The man was insufferable when he was smug.

A blade came swinging at your head and you ducked with a startled exclamation. The third of the new demons had taken advantage of your momentary distraction and managed to close the distance between the two of you. It swung at you again and you grabbed the base of its leg before using the momentum of its swing to launch yourself into the air and away from it. Unfortunately, this also happened to place you in the middle of the group of lesser demons which promptly attacked you. The group was tightly packed which meant that they were hitting each other as they attacked you and several ended up killing one another. However, the closeness also made it difficult for you to dodge and you ended up with a few shallow nicks here and there.

Kicking at the nearest demon, you staggered out of the pileup as the last demon approached you. Slightly of kilter, you swung wildly at the demon and were lucky when your blade neatly sliced through the threads connecting the bladed leg to the rest of the demon’s body. The rusted metal clattered to the street and you promptly lunged, drawing your sword along the demon’s belly and splitting it open. It screeched and crumpled to dust as you breathed a small sigh of relief. You really were out of practice. Training for the past two years had brought the techniques back to your mind, but open combat was still rusty.

After the three elite demons were taken care of, it was a simple matter to clean up the rest. When the last demon fell and turned to dust, the barrier that had kept you caged in shattered and you breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Until you heard clapping.

You whipped around and froze when you spotted the source. The man in red, who had killed His Holiness, was casually sitting on top of one of the nearby buildings. He chuckled at your deer in the headlights expression. “Y’know… I was gonna jump down there and help ya out but you seemed to have it covered.” He pushed off from his seat and landed lightly in front of you with a smirk. Now that he was close to you, he towered over your smaller frame and you were frozen for an entirely different reason. The man in front of you had snow white hair that fell over bright blue eyes. Stubble grew on his chin, giving his aristocratic face a rugged appearance. He looked just like…

The male looked down at you in confusion as all the color drained from your face and you gaped at him. Your mouth opened and closed a few times before you finally managed to force out one trembling word. “V-Vergil…?”

Instantly, the man’s casual attitude evaporated and within seconds you were staring down the barrel of the pistol that had killed Sanctus not even two hours before. The white haired male’s tone was soft and deadly as he questioned you. “How do you know my brother?”

Blinking stupidly at him, all you could do was repeat his last word. “Brother?”

Relaxing slightly at your obvious confusion, the man lowered his gun but didn’t holster it. “I guess you don’t know then.”

“Know _what_?! Why the _fuck_ do you look like Vergil when you’re so obviously not him?!”

He sighs and finally holsters his weapon. “We might want to sit down for this lady, it’s gonna take awhile.”

* * *

The man, whose name you learned was Dante, sat down with you on the curb and explained about how he and Vergil were the twin sons of Sparda, the demon who separated the human and demon worlds. He told you about how the Demon Lord Sparda had fallen in love with a human woman and sired twins. He then went on to tell you how their home was attacked and their mother was killed, resulting in the separation of the two and the birth of their apparent hatred for one another. After he was done explaining, you sat there in silence for a long while, processing.

Dante’s story, while outlandish, made since. It filled in some of the gaps in what you knew of Vergil’s history. When you had known the man, he’d never discussed his past. He’d occasionally made a few comments here and there, such as when you’d discovered his taste for poetry, but Vergil had always been frustratingly closed off.

The man beside you gave you a few more minutes to gather your thoughts before speaking again. “You never answered my question.”

You hesitate, considering playing dumb but realize that it’d be in poor taste. You sigh and look down at the bit of road between your feet, suddenly finding the cracks very interesting. “We were… intimate.”

Dante stiffens beside you. “What… like, you two were…?” He makes a vaguely sexual gesture that you see out of the corner of your eye and you nod silently. He sits back with a slightly stunned expression. “Well damn... I didn’t think the guy had it in him…” He muttered.

You both sit in silence as you wait for the other shoe to drop. Dante suddenly sits bolt upright next to you. _‘There it is…’_ You can’t help but think.

“That kid… At the church.” He looks at you with wide eyes and yours close. You know who he’s talking about.

“Nero… My son.”

Dante sits there for a moment as your words sink in before falling backwards flat on his back. “Well shit.”

You smile bitterly. Your thoughts exactly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> O. M. G.  
> This was soooooo much fun to write. Here we have the interaction that everyone has been craving. The meeting of Dante and Reader. I really hope I portrayed Dante right as I basically winged this whole chapter.  
> On another note, I apologize for taking so long to get this out. Work is giving me really early and really long hours and all I've wanted to do when I get home is sleep. I'll try to get the next one out quickly but it all depends on if I have the time to write.   
> So for now, Toodles!


	7. Chapter 7

You’d met Virgil about two years after Lilith’s death. After the… incident, you’d slowly started distancing yourself from the townspeople of St. Edith. You quit the choir after graduation, having no interest in continuing to sing once you reached adulthood. This infuriated your father who’d believed that your voice was the only thing of worth you’d had and you left home shortly after, choosing to move into the Abbey in pursuit of a teaching career. Due to your youth and inexperience you weren't able to teach a class on your own, but you often shadowed one of the senior teachers and helped with her classes. Soon enough you were allowed to substitute whenever one of the Sisters had to be absent. After hours, you offered tutoring in the Abbey’s rather extensive library and that soon became your haven.

You would spend hours coming through the dusty tomes that hadn't been opened in what seemed like centuries and had become quite knowledgeable on the darker aspects of your town’s history. St. Edith Abbey had been built for one purpose, to serve as a seal for the naturally occurring hell gate that sat beneath the catacombs. 

The walls of the Abbey were built in a perfect circle with a gate of iron placed at each of the four cardinal directions. These gates served as the “locks” for the hell gate. As long as at least one of these gateways stood, the hell gate could not be opened. Eventually, the existence of the hell gate was forgotten and the town of St. Edith grew around the Abbey. 

You’d discovered this in an ancient journal written by the Cardinal who’d originally performed the sealing by blessing the grounds and the gates of the Abbey after it had been built. The journal was written in Latin and in a light spidery hand that was almost impossible to read, much less translate, and you’d only succeeded in deciphering the first twenty or so pages, several of which mentioned the name “Sparda” and how he was the one to assist the Cardinal in the initial sealing. 

It was the height of summer when he showed up, a stranger dressed in blue with hair the color of freshly fallen snow. A stranger with an alarming interest in the town’s history and the journals that you’d become rather attached to. 

* * *

Dantes sits next to you in silence for several moments, apparently deep in thought. You couldn’t help comparing his features to those of your former lover. Vergil’s face seemed sharper than Dante’s. While Vergil was meticulously groomed, never allowing a single hair to fall out of place, Dante had allowed his hair to grow out slightly and fall about his face and a five o’clock shadow softened the sharp point of his chin. Other than that the two were identical, though you felt that the frown that often adorned the elder’s face seemed out of place on the younger.

Abruptly, Dante stands and stretches. You wince when his back cracks audibly and the man turns to you with a grin. “Well, it seems that this just became a family matter!”

You blink up at him owlishly. “Wha…?”

He laughs and reaches down to grab your hand before hauling you to your feet. “You obviously knew my brother pretty damn well. Probably better than I ever did.” You saw a flash of guilt briefly cross his face. “He trusted you enough to let you close, closer than he’s ever let anyone get. Hell, you even had his kid!” Dante gives you a serious look. “That makes you the closest thing to a sister I’m ever gonna get. You and that kid of yours, Nero, are family and even though I ‘ain't been around till now, y’all are stuck with me.”

You’re stunned. This… was not how you were expecting this conversation to go and you floundered for a moment before gathering your thoughts. “I… I really appreciate that Dante… Thank you.”

He grins and slaps you on the back, causing you to stumble forward. He tips an imaginary hat at you. “Anytime, M’lady.Though I do want the story of how you and my brother met once this is all over.”

You give him a small smile in return. “Of course.”

You both stood in silence for a moment before you turned to where you could just barely see the top of the city hall above the buildings. Dante scooped up his sword from where it was lying next to the curb and turned to you. “Well, I’d love to stay and chat but I’m on the clock and you seemed like you were moving with a purpose yourself.” 

You glance at him out of the corner of your eye and give him a cheeky grin. “You’re having dinner at the orphanage with us after this is all over. Don’t you dare be late or I’m coming after you.”

He barks out a laugh. “Yes Ma’am!” Before pushing off of the street with a powerful leap and bounding off over the buildings towards Fortuna Castle.

You stare after him for a brief moment before turning and continuing on your way to City Hall.

* * *

The streets were mostly quiet as you continued on your way. A few minor demons were scattered here and there but you dispatched them quickly and were soon climbing the steps to the City Hall. Before mounting the wide stone steps you peered upwards to see if you could spot anyone serving as a look out. Seeing nothing, you sighed and pushed open the heavy oaken doors.

The inside of City Hall was dimly lit by the glow of the rising sun. Motes of dust could be seen drifting through the air. Nothing moved. You slowly walked towards the grand staircase in the center of the hall, the soft taping of your boots echoing through the silence. The air seemed thicker here, as if the room was holding its breath. The sunlit dust ahead of you suddenly moved as if displaced by a breath of wind and you instinctively ducked forward into a roll, feeling rather than seeing or hearing the strike pass through where your neck had been just moments before.

A chuckle breaks the silence and a velvety voice is heard from above. “Well… That was certainly impressive. It seems like there might be a bit more to you than the other humans cowering beneath this building.”

You glance upwards and freeze. “...Fuck.” You mutter. Normally, you weren't one to curse but this seemed to be a rather apt moment for it. 

High in the rafters, lounging upon an enormous web of carefully woven threads, was Arachne. With the body of a spider and the head and torso of a beautiful woman, Arachne was ranked among some of the most powerful demons. Known as the “Queen of Spiders”, she had the ability to infuse any arachnid with demonic energy while retaining absolute control over them. Although she was relatively easy to defeat by herself, she could call upon thousands of spiders before imbuing them with her power all at once, creating an instant army.

“Language.” She drawled. Her movements were inhumanly graceful as she delicately stepped from her web to the wall before reaching the floor and beginning to circle you. Sunlight revealed delicate features, high arching brows and perfectly shaped lips. Eight black eyes peered at you and her long hair draped over her chest just barely covering her nudity. “Hmmm… You don’t  _ seem _ to be anything special…” 

Sensing the coming blow, you dodged to the left as a heavily armored leg came crashing down where you were just standing. Watching the demoness guardedly, you kept your distance.

“Yet somehow, you’re able to avoid my attacks.” She leered at you, licking her lips, and you caught the barest flash of a fang. “Tell me Dear… How is that?” 

You shift your stance and draw your blade before dismissing the sheath. You could tell that there was no way for you to avoid the coming fight. “That… is none of your concern.”

Arachne throws her head back and cackles. “Oh ho ho…. You really think that  _ you _ , a mere  _ human _ , stand even the remotest chance against  _ me _ ?!” She hisses as her eyes begin to tinge red and her mouth splits open to reveal fangs dripping with venom. Pinning you with a piercing glare, she flexes her claws. “If it’ssss death you wish for, then I ssssupposssse I’ll have to oblige you.”

You threw yourself to the right as the demoness suddenly launched herself at you. She was surprisingly nimble considering the bulk of her spider’s body and you knew that if you couldn’t limit her movements that it would be a very short fight. Quickly rolling to dodge another one of her attacks you slashed at one of her legs, hoping that your aim was true. A sudden shriek sounded and one of her second legs toppled to the floor, neatly severed at the joint. 

“You Whore!” She snarled and you sneered in return, channeling your inner Vergil.

“I think not, considering the fact that there is only one man I have ever lain with.” You smirk. “However,  _ your _ reputation precedes you.”

Arachne blinks in confusion for a moment before recognizing the insult for what it was and snarls before spitting venom at you. You dodge it neatly and glance at the spot where it landed, noting the way the liquid immediately began eating through the floor.

“Projectile vomiting? How crass, at least  _ try _ to have some class” You deadpan.

The demoness gives a wordless shriek at your calm insult and charges you, falling for the taunt. You leap forward into her charge and shove your rapier upwards, carving a deep gash in her abdomen. As you dance away, one of her back legs catches you across the stomach and launches you across the room. You crash into one of the pillars on the far side of the and gasp as the air leaves your lungs in a rush.

You cough, struggling to sit up and desperately gasp for breath as you try to get your bearings. In the center of the hall you see Arachne struggling to remain upright with her remaining legs. It seemed like your last attack had done a great deal of damage as copious amounts of disgusting yellow ichor coated the floor. Staggering, you hear her let out her loudest screech yet, causing you to wince and clap your hands over your ears.

“CHILDREN…! ATTEND MEEEE!!!”

Suddenly, you hear skittering as  _ hundreds _ of spiders pour into the room. Many have already grown substantially in size due to the demonic energy infusing them and you’re forced to throw yourself to the side as a jumping spider the size of a large dog leaps at you from across the room. You swing your sword wildly as another spider slams into you from the side and it falls to the ground dead before two more take its place.

Time seemed to blur into a haze of dogding and slashing, interspersed with the occasional screech of a dying spider. You must have slain hundreds by this point but there were just as many in the hall as when you started and even more were pouring in. 

You gasped for breath and adjusted your grip on your sword. The handle had grown slick with spider guts and was getting difficult to hold. Yet another spider leapt at you and you swiped at it, missing your mark and only severing a couple of it’s legs rather than bisecting it as you had intended. Your movements had grown sloppy with exhaustion and you were struggling to remain on your feet. 

Arachne sneered at you from across the room. “And so, in the end, you fail. No matter how talented you may be with that little sword of your’s, you’re still just one human. My children are infinite! No matter how many you cut down, more will come. As your body begins to fail due to exhaustion my children feast on your blood and flesh and grow stronger!” The demoness smirks triumphantly. “You’re finished, little human.”

The spider’s had fallen back slightly during their mistress’ monologue and you used the slight reprieve to steady yourself. You drew yourself up to your full height and raised your chin defiantly. “That’s what you think.” With those words, you slammed the pommel of your rapier into your left hand and the unseen blade at the end bit deeply into your palm. The blade pulsed.

The room seemed to darken as your shadow lengthened and stretched. Claws formed on your shadow’s fingers and two great horns emerged from its forehead as two enormous and tattered wings spread from the back of your now pitch black shadow. Your outward appearance didn’t change to match that of your shadow’s. The only sign that anything had changed was the fact that your pupils had bled outward, and two voids stared at the startled demoness.

Arachne took a step back. “Wh-What is thi-?!” Her sentence was cut short as her head toppled to the ground, cleanly severed. Her body soon followed and you turned to gaze at it dispassionately. There was no sign that you had even moved, it was as if you had simply appeared behind her. 

Your shadow flexed its claws before piercing the shadow of a spider that had tried to sneak behind you. Wounds appeared on its body to mirror those upon its shadow and it fell dead beside you. It would seem that although Arachne was dead, her influence on the surrounding spiders had not faded. Your shadow ruffles it’s wings and points. You sigh. “You’re right. Let’s clean this up.”

* * *

You casually flick goo off of the end of your rapier and gaze around you with emotionless black eyes. The bodies of dead spiders littered the ground around you. You felt a tug on your sleeve and turned to look at your shadow who pointed to where the body of Arachne had once lain. 

In the demoness’ place was an ornate bracelet, the delicate chain woven in the shape of spiderwebs with poisonous green gems interspersed. The gems seemed to glow with an inner light. You walked over and picked it up. “Instead of perishing it seems she chose to continue on as an Arm.” You mutter.

You slip the bracelet on your left wrist and snap your fingers. Delicate threads appear at the tips of your fingers. You wiggle your fingers and the thread mirror the movements, writhing around like snakes. “Interesting.” You dismiss the threads and turn back to your shadow. “Thank you, you can go back to sleep now.”

Your shadow nods and pats your head before waving at you and returning to normal. Your eyes return to their ordinary e/c as the room seems to brighten abruptly, sunlight streaming in through the windows. You sigh. While that had taken less time than you’d thought, It had still delayed you quite a bit. You turned towards the stairs to the basement and took a step forward before promptly collapsing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys. I know it's been a while but I'm finally back! Between moving into an new apartment and settling into a new job I've had absolutely no time or energy to write. Please take this rather long and intense chapter as a peace offering!
> 
> I have also realized that I desperately need a beta reader. Both for this story and for others that I have planned for the future. If youre interested in beta-ing for me or know someone else who might be please let me know!


	8. Chapter 8

Late afternoon sun streamed in through the library’s windows, gently illuminating the many rows of ancient tomes. Your low heels clicked quietly as you strode through the shelves, stopping occasionally to place one of the many books stacked in your arms back on it’s shelf. It was midsummer and you had been placed in charge of summer school for the year. It had been heavily implied that if the children under your instruction improved in their studies, you would be allowed to teach a class full time next school semester. You paused and replaced another tome. While remaining in the Abbey for another year wasn’t particularly appealing to you, you knew that having a year of experience at a prestigious school like St. Edith would almost guarantee you a teaching job anywhere you wanted. 

You sigh. Three years ago you would have never even  _ thought _ of leaving St. Edith. Now, the thought of having to spend another year in the town made you want to scream. There was a loud groan as the heavy oaken door swung inwards and you made a note to oil the hinges again before you retired for the night. There was a quiet thud as the door swung shut and you continued putting the last of your books away. You figured that the other librarian had just left for the evening. The elderly woman you worked with had a family in the town proper and she retired to her home every evening.

You, on the other hand, lived in a small set of rooms above the Abbey’s library. When you left your father’s house you were offered the rooms on the condition that you served as the Abbey’s night librarian. The Abbey’s great library was open at all hours in an effort to encourage others to peruse the wealth of knowledge it contained though few people came in after dark. 

“Excuse me.”

You startled, dropping the heavy stack of books and whirling around in surprise. A young man stood at the end of the row, frowning at you slightly. “Oh! I'm so sorry! Give me just a moment to pick these up and then I can help you.”

You bend down to pick up the fallen books, taking it as a chance to calm your racing heart and study the stranger out of the corner of your eye. He was tall, standing head and shoulders above you. His clothes were worn, but elegant and dyed a brilliant shade of royal blue. A hooded brown cloak hid most of his features but you could just make out a sharp chin and pale skin. You stand, and make your way to the large front desk and set the books down on the corner before turning back to the man. “How can I help you?”

“I wish to learn about the history of this place. I am searching for information on an ancestor of mine and St. Edith was mentioned in various texts.” His voice was a deep flowing baritone and the vocalist in you wondered what it would sound like in verse.

“I see… Do you know the name of this ancestor? It would help me to narrow down-”

“No.” He interrupted, his voice cold. “Just point me to the history books specifically for this Abbey.”

“I…” You’re stopped by the tensing of his shoulders and you could tell that his patience was wearing thin. You sigh. “As you wish.”

You make your way to the card catalogue and begin pulling cards from various drawers. Returning to the desk, you pull out a sheet of loose leaf and begin copying down names and identification numbers. “This is a list of various books containing the history of the Abbey and town. Most are histories written decades after the events but there are a few journals included as well.” You hand the list to him and he glances at it as you pull out another sheet of paper. “The older books are written in Latin unfortunately, I’ll retrieve a translation guide-”

“There’s no need.”

“Pardon…?” You try not to let your annoyance at being interrupted again show.

“There’s no need for a guide, I can read Latin.”

You’re shocked. “You can read…” You trail off. “Very well… As I was saying, That list should start you off. It covers a wide range of dates and just about every person who had a hand in the founding of the Abbey and or town is mentioned at least once. If what you are looking for isn’t in those books, they should help to point you in the right direction of what you are looking for.” He nods, and you continue. “There are also several letters from that time that we keep here, however they are very old and delicate and are stored in a special room to prevent decay. Once you have an idea of the time your ancestor was here I can retrieve some of them for you to look at as well.”

“Thank you.” The words were so quiet, you could barely make them out. The man turned and set off through the shelves to retrieve the books you had listed for him.

You remain at the desk for a moment longer before quietly shaking your head and replacing the cards you had pulled from the catalogue. You closed the drawers before scooping up the books you still had yet to put away and set off through the shelves again. Passing one of the many tables set up for study, you noted the strange man sitting with several of the books you had recommended open in front of him and did a double take. 

He had draped his cloak and hood over the back of his chair, fully revealing his face to you. His features were fine and chiseled, with a straight nose and high cheekbones. A pair of piercing blue eyes studied the books in front of him intently and his pure white hair was carefully pushed back from his face. All in all, the man was devastatingly handsome. He looked up as if sensing your eyes on him and your gazes met. His gaze pinned you in place for a moment before you broke eye contact and scurried back to your desk blushing furiously.

* * *

You groan as you slowly regain consciousness. Shivering from the chill of the stone floor, you open your eyes and struggle into a sitting position. Glancing around, you note that midmorning sun is still streaming in from the eastern windows. You stand stiffly, exhausted and sore from your battle with arachne, and limp towards the cellar doors. Though you couldn’t have been out for very long, you knew that you had to hurry. Arachne had implied that the townsfolk who were hiding had already been found. 

Forcing your legs to move faster, you jogged down the steps and made your way towards the back of the dimly lit basement. You knew that there was an entrance to a storm shelter on the far end of the room. The shelter door was heavy and could be locked from the inside so you figured that was the most likely place for the villagers to go. You wove between long shelves and tall filing cabinets. The cellar of Fortuna’s city hall held the records of every family living within the city. The further back you went the older the records got. The Order was meticulous about keeping track of its citizens and you knew that there were files on you and Nero down here as well. When you became the head of the orphanage, you were recognized as a citizen after all. 

A scream suddenly pierced the gloom and you inwardly cursed before sprinting towards the sound. Rounding a corner, you see the source of the noise. One of the larger demons had found the entrance to the storm shelter and had buried it’s blade several inches into the door. It jerked and there was a harsh screech of metal on metal as it tried to wrench the door open to get at the terrified people within. 

Taking advantage of the fact that the demon’s back was to you, you leap forward and bury your rapier up to the hilt in its back. The demon squeals and immediately crumbles into dust. You run to the door. “Is everyone okay?”

A shaky voice answers you. “Y-Yes!”

You let out a relieved sigh, that had been close. “Alright. I’m going to need some of you to help me open the door. That demon messed up the frame on this side, you’re going to need to push!”

You hear an affirmative and begin tugging on the door from your side. There are a few muffled grunts from the other side and the door slowly opens with an agonizing screech. Once clear of the frame, the door swings open all at once and you’re sent stumbling backward. A several of the male townsfolk fall forward, landing in a heap, and you’re met with the gazes of about fifteen adults and half a dozen children of varying ages. 

“Matron Y/N…?” One of the townsfolk asked cautiously. You recognise her, having seen her in the market fairly often. 

“I know that I’m probably the last person all of you expected but there’s really no time to explain. Other demon’s probably heard what just happened and are going to come to investigate. We need to go. Now.”

The group cautiously begins to file out of the room. “Where are we going?” Another asks suspiciously.

“The orphanage. Nero and I built a safe room there after the attack a few years ago. My charges are already there.”

The adult’s exchange uneasy looks while a few of the children crowd around you. “Where are the knights of the Order?” One asks, looking near tears.

You shake your head. “I don’t know little one, I would hope that they are doing what I’m doing. Making sure that the rest of the city’s people are safe.”

“And why  _ are _ you doing this?” One of the more elderly townsfolk speaks up. “Most of Fortuna has been rather unkind to you since you arrived here. Why would you risk your life to help people who wouldn’t give you a second thought?” 

His words were sharp and you had to force yourself to meet his gaze evenly. “Because it’s the right thing to do.” You state simply. You hold his gaze until he lowers his head, looking uncomfortable. “Any more questions?” You ask loudly.

There’s no response other than some quiet shuffling. 

“Let’s go then.”

* * *

It’s much more difficult to cross the city with a large group. Several times you have to duck into broken buildings to hide from wandering demons. If you had been alone, you would have simply killed them. However, you couldn’t risk the noise of a fight drawing more demons to you and the group of people following you. If you were discovered it would be a massacre.

Reaching down, you helped to pull one of the older townspeople over a large chunk of rubble. You had decided to cut through the courtyard of the church rather than try to make your way around it. The courtyard was silent and many of the people looked uneasy. Truthfully, you didn’t want to be there anymore than they did but it was either this or moving through the streets and risking running into demons.

When the orphanage is finally in sight you heave a great sigh of relief. Glancing back, you could tell that many of the adults shared your feelings. Some even gave you relieved smiles. You lead the way down the street and unlock the front door before ushering the group inside. You follow them in and lock the door behind you.

“Unfortunately, there’s not enough room for everyone inside the safe room. So for now, I’m going to take the children down.” Most of the adults nodded in agreement and you made your way past them to open the storage closet under the stairs. “There are cots and blankets under here, feel free to use them. I also have a decent amount of food stored in the pantry if anyone is hungry.” As you led the children to the basement, one of the men quietly moved towards the cupboard and began to pass out the blankets.

Knocking on the door to the safe room, you quietly murmur the password to the door hidden in the wall. After a moment it creaks open and a pair of scared brown eyes peer out at you. Seconds later you’re tackled by the group of orphans in your charge. After taking a moment to reassure them, and yourself to some extent, you gently usher them and the new children back into the hidden room. After hearing the lock click, you sigh and make your way back up the stairs.

By the time you’ve returned, most of the blankets have been passed out and the elderly townsfolk you rescued are resting on the spare cots you had indicated. After making sure they are settled you turn to make your way back out the door again. The man who was passing out the blankets stops you. “Matron? Where are you going?”

You sigh and turn back to the adults who are all now looking at you curiously. “I have to see if I can find more people. I was lucky to find so many of you hiding in a group but the longer I wait the more people could die to the demons out there.”

The man stares at you wordlessly for a long moment before nodding and stepping back. “Please… Be careful Matron.”

You nod and step out the door once more to search for more survivors.

* * *

The next hour or so passes by in a blur. You slaughter any demon you come across with ease and count yourself lucky that you haven’t run into any more greater demons like Arachne. With how exhausted you are, you don’t think you could handle another as powerful as her. 

You kill another demon and look around before sighing in frustration. You’d made your way to the market after leaving the orphanage again. You’d hoped that some people might have looked for shelter around here since it was a fair distance away from the church. Unfortunately all you found was demons, demons, and more demons.

You pause and sit heavily on one of the benches scattered about in an effort to catch your breath. It had been years since you fought like this and while the practice you’d taken up had refreshed your memory of techniques and such it didn’t really do much for your endurance. Hearing the clink of metal on stone, you tense and look up. However when you see the familiar color and shape of the Order’s armor you relax.

“Thank God…” You stand and begin to make your way over. “I’ve been wondering where the knights have been. I’ve already rescued a group of people and-”

You leap to the side as it suddenly thrusts it’s lance at you with devastating power and you gasp at the sight of the crater it left in the street. You shout, letting your surprise color your words. “Wh-What the Hell? What the fuck do you think you’re doing?!”

The knight doesn't respond and simply attacks you again, forcing you to move further into the street. You’re confused. Most of the Order knows you through Nero, while not all of them are particularly friendly to you, they’ve never been hostile to you before. You dodge another attack, refraining from returning the favor before calling out angrily. “Why are you attacking me? What do you want?!”

“S-s-s-s-simply s-s-s-some answers, my d-d-d-dear…”

You whirl around at the unexpected voice. The knight takes advantage of your distraction and strikes you with the side of it’s lance and flings you across the street, causing you to cry out in pain. As your vision fades, two more knights appear, flanking a vaguely familiar figure. “Wh-Who…?”

The figure bends over your prone form and you struggle to sit up before groaning in pain. There’s a sharp prick in the side of your neck and you gasp as your vision begins to go blurry. You whimper. “N-No…!”

“D-d-don’t w-worry, my dear… W-w-w-we won’t k-k-k-kill you. His Holiness has s-s-s-some q-q-q-q-questions he needs answered-d-d…”

You struggle weakly as one of the knights picks you up and flings you over its shoulder. The stranger picks up your rapier and seems to be inspecting it before you dismiss it and it turns to smoke in his hands. The last thing you see before blacking out is a calculating look that makes your blood run cold. “C-c-c-curious....”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about leaving y'all with a cliffhanger! I don't usually do that but I wanted to get this chapter out sooner rather than later.


	9. Chapter 9

You sighed as you replaced yet another stack of books that had been briefly looked over then discarded. Vergil—you’d finally given in and demanded his name after growing sick of referring to him as “sir” or “you”—seemed to have no rhyme or reason to his ancestral research. The man had been staying at the abbey for some time now and you had long grown out of the small crush you’d had on him initially. By this point you were completely fed up with the male’s holier-than-thou attitude and curt, borderline rude, demeanor. You huffed, mumbling about  _ egotistical jerks _ , and shoved another book onto the shelf. 

Hearing the heavy doors to the library open and shut, you idly note the fading shouts of laughter and joy knowing that your break from your asinine guest was just about over. Vergil seemed to avoid the library like the plague whenever students were present, meaning the parts of the day that were usually your most trying had quickly become your escape from the man. Not even your own quarters were safe! Just last night you’d been woken up at three in the morning by a certain white-haired individual pounding on your door and demanding your assistance.

Placing the last book in your hands onto the shelf, you stride out from between the rows of books and make your way to the cart waiting by the door to the archives. On the cart were several carefully stacked boxes containing the original letters and journals from before and during the construction of the abbey. Vergil had insisted on seeing the documents after you’d briefly mentioned having them.  _ That _ had been a stressful night. 

Due to the delicate nature of the documents in question and the fact that Vergil was from outside the village, the man wasn’t allowed to handle the papers.  _ Meaning _ , that you had to stand by to open each sealed box and gently remove the ancient parchment to spread out on the table. You also had to stop Vergil from overturning the table out of frustration several times. The man was downright  _ pissy _ sometimes. 

You smirk, imagining Vergil’s reaction to being called that. You could only do so in your head of course due to the fact that you’d probably lose it if you ever said that out loud in the male’s presence. You begin pushing the heavy cart down into the abbey archives, pausing briefly to retrieve a heavy key ring from behind your desk. After walking about halfway down the dark hallway you reach a pair of elevator doors set into the wall. The elevator and the vault it connected to were relatively new additions to the abbey. They’d been installed when you were about ten years old due to the rapidly deteriorating state of some of the older journals. 

The vault was airtight and had been carved deep into the mountainside beneath the abbey. Due to its security it also contained the town’s treasures, several of which were older than the abbey itself. The elevator gave a quiet chime as the doors opened smoothly and you quickly wheeled the cart inside. Quickly rifling through the keys you select one and insert it into the lock that replaced the number pads you usually saw in elevators. Giving the key a quick turn, you sigh as the doors shut and you begin descending. 

You glance at your watch and note that it’s now after six. Vergil is sure to be in the library by now. The elevator chimes again and comes to a stop as the doors open to reveal a darkened room. You back the cart out of the elevator and fan yourself lightly. It’s always warmer down here than in the rest of the abbey, you’re not sure why. 

The cart’s wheels squeaked quietly as you strode past the various display cases and cabinets. Pausing next to an open case you glance down at the serial number before looking for the corresponding container and slotting it into place. You close the lid and carefully lock it in place, listening for the faint hiss as the compartment pressurized. 

You continued on like this for a time, carefully replacing each of the small containers on your cart and making sure that each one was sealed properly. 

After replacing and sealing the last of the documents, you sigh and glance at your watch again. Seven thirty, you’d been absent from the library for nearly two hours. Vergil was sure to be furious, especially since there would be no chance of him finding you down here. You smirked and considered the thought of waiting even longer to return, but knew that you’d eventually have to face the man and his temper. You turned and began pushing the cart back towards the elevator, idly glancing at the various artifacts in glass cases. 

The objects within the vault were rather eclectic in nature. Some cases contained various holy items that were used in the construction and blessing of the abbey, others contained seemingly random—and in some instances, bizzare—items that were considered “precious” by the town council. For example, one case held the crucifix used by the Cardinal in the consecration of the abbey’s grounds. Right next to it was a case containing a twisted and filthy cutting of a tree root. The plaque in front of the case claimed that it had been used in a dark ritual and was thus cursed, but you had a difficult time believing that. It just seemed like an old piece of wood to you. 

You passed by the rest of the cases, occasionally rolling your eyes at the descriptions. One case claimed to hold the heart of a demon. It was a rock. Yes, there were a few streaks of reddish brown on it, but you knew that it was because of the high iron content in the stone. There were thousands of rocks  _ exactly  _ like it on the ground outside.

Reaching the elevator, you pushed the cart into its designated place and pressed the button. The doors smoothly opened and you entered the elevator once more. Again you inserted the key and turned it, groaning as the doors slid shut and the elevator started rising. You could already feel a headache forming due to the coming confrontation. 

The elevator chimed softly and you exited, walking deliberately slowly down the hall towards the main library. You didn’t immediately see Vergil, but you knew the man was in the room somewhere. You replace the keys on the hook beneath the desk and begin filling out the log, stating that all the documents that had been removed from the vault had been properly replaced. 

“Where were you?”

You resist the urge to slam your head on the desk and look up to meet the furious blue eyes of Vergil. “I was doing my job.” You stated bluntly. 

He sneered. “Your  _ job _ is to assist me, girl.”

You ignore him and finish logging the documents you’d returned, forcing down your rising anger. You neatly sign your name at the base of the page and close the large book before putting it away. You begin tidying up the desk in preparation to leave for the night. Something in Vergil seems to snap at your casual disregard of the man and he slams his fist on the desk, startling you and causing you to flinch violently at the loud noise. 

“Listen to me when I speak to you, woman!” 

You don’t know what it was, perhaps it was him shouting at you, or his refusal to use your name—you knew he knew it, not only had you told him yourself, but students would come looking for you at all hours of the night, needing help with their assignments—or perhaps you’d finally become fed up with the way he’d treated you but suddenly, you were  _ done.  _

You snatch up your bag and storm around the large desk, marching up to Vergil. You glare furiously up at his face, uncaring about the difference in height, and cut loose. 

“Listen here you pompous prick!” Weeks of pent up frustration were present in your tone. “I am  _ sick  _ of you treating me like your personal doormat! Ever since you got here you’ve done nothing but gripe and complain while ordering me around! You refuse to use my name and act like I don’t deserve to breathe the same air as you, let alone be in your presence. Yet you still come to me,  _ demanding _ that I drop everything and bend over backwards to help you and your shitty attitude! I have duties that don’t involve you! I don’t have time to just sit around and wait for you to need my help! Newsflash jackass, the world doesn’t. Revolve. Around. You.” You jab him in the chest with each word. “So I’m not—”

He grabs your wrist tightly as you go to poke him again. “Don’t touch me, woman.” He growls furiously, while glaring down at you. “I don’t care if you—”

_ Smack _

For the first time since you’d met him, Vergil seems genuinely shocked. You can already see red blossoming on his pale cheek where you slapped him. Your palm stings and you wrench your other arm out of his grip with a snarl. “My name... is Y/N.  _ Learn to fucking use it. _ ” With that you turn and stomp out of the library, leaving the stunned man behind you as the door slams shut. 

* * *

It feels like you've been hit by a truck when you wake. Your arms are suspended above your head with a pair of chained manacles and you can hear the quiet hum of machinery. Opening your eyes, you take in your surroundings. The room you were in was dark, cables and bundles of wires crisscrossed the floor haphazardly connecting various consoles. A strange rootlike growth was emerging from the floor and stretched up the wall and out of a large hole. You shift your body and groan as your shoulders protest. There’s no way for you to tell how much time has passed while you were unconscious and while the room  _ does  _ have a sort of window, you have no idea which direction it faces.

You tug on your bonds and are disappointed to find that despite their age the chains seem quite secure. However, Arachne’s bracelet is still wrapped around your wrist. You suppose that whoever took you mistook the Devil Arm for a simple piece of jewelry. Reassured slightly by the knowledge that you’re not completely defenseless despite your confines, you begin trying to think of ways to escape.

After a moment, you begin to hear a strange buzzing that gradually grows louder and a  _ giant beetle _ flies in through the open archway. 

You gasp and sit up, exhaustion forgotten, when you recognize the clothing of the person the obviously demonic bug is carrying. “ _ Kyrie _ !”

The demon idly glances over at your outcry but doesn’t hesitate as it flies up to a circular platform hanging from the ceiling. After placing Kyrie onto the platform, there’s a flash of red light and the songstress is suspended in a shimmering cage. The beetle descends and slowly shifts into the form of a bespeckled man in a lab coat once he touches the ground. After quickly hurrying over to one of the consoles and picking up a clipboard, he ruffles through the pages and finally turns his attention to you.

“S-s-s-so t-tell me M-m-matron Y/N… H-how is it-t-t-t that-t your s-s-son wields demonic p-power?”

You frown and stare at the strange man in confusion to hide your worry. “What do you mean by demonic power? Did something happen to Nero?” Internally, your thoughts were racing. What had happened that had caused Nero to reveal his abilities? Was he hurt? Why had this man taken Kyrie?  _ What was going on? _

He storms up to you and shoves the end of his clipboard in your face, spittle flying with the force of his shout. “D-d-don’t play dumb, w-w-woman! Th-th-that k-k-k-kind of p-power isn’t g-gained through a devil arm or a demonic p-p-p-p-pact! One has t-t-to b-b  _ born _ with that-t-t kind of power! What-t-t do you know?!”

Attempting to stall, you counter his questions with one of your own. “Who are you?”

The man sneers but humors your question. “I a-a-am Angelo Agnus, alchemist-t-t and the Order’s ch-ch-chief of t-t-technologic-c-cal r-research. Now answer m-m-my quest-t-tion!”

You  _ refuse _ to tell him anything about your son. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“YES YOU DO!” Agnus roars and flings the clipboard at you, striking you in the face. In his anger, he shifts back into his demon form and pulls out a strange looking sword which he slams into the ground next to you. “T-t-t-tell me what-t-t-t you know! NOW!”

You glare up at him stubbornly. “No.”

He rears back to strike you with the sword, but pauses at a loud grinding sound and a door appears in the wall. A familiar white-haired figure walks through it and you sigh in relief. “Nero.”

Your son does a double take. “Mom?” He eyes your battered form before turning a furious glare on Agnus, who had flown up to Kyrie’s cage when Nero entered the room.

“You bastard! First you kidnapped Kyrie, but then you went and took my mom too! What the fuck do you want with me?!” Nero shouts.

“Language.” You say dryly and Nero gives you a flat look.

“Seriously?”

You shrug. “I’m still your mom.”

“You curse just as much as I do!”

“Semantics.”

Nero shakes his head and refocuses on Kyrie and Agnus. You’re obviously fine if you’re bantering with him. “What have you done to Kyrie?!” 

The bug-man sneers—you’re not sure how he does it, but you’re impressed—and flies in front of the cage. “Why don’t you check and find out? But don’t expect me to be as easy on you as I was last time…”

Nero glances at you briefly before snarling and flexing the Devil Bringer. “If I have to kill you to save Kyrie, then let’s roll!”

Agnus charges with a shout and Nero quickly deflects the huge sword using the Red Queen. The beetle slams into the ground and your son quickly leaps away from the following slash before countering with a combo of his own. 

The next few minutes seem to stretch on forever as you watch your son battle furiously with the demonic scientist. You cringe every time Nero gets hit. You know he can take it, but you never wanted your son to be in this kind of situation. That was your whole reason for coming to Fortuna of all places.

As the fight drags on, you find yourself slightly thankful for the manacles suspending your arms. If you hadn’t been restrained, your nails would have been bitten down to the quick. Agnus summons more swords and sends them shooting towards Nero and you’re momentarily dumbfounded when, after your son doges them, they sprout  _ wings _ and fly after him. Nero’s obviously seen this before because he calmly deflects them before using the Bringer to yank himself towards Agnus and bring the Red Queen down in a crushing blow. Agnus seems to expect this and catches Nero’s sword on his own, before bringing his fist around in a devastating punch to your son’s jaw. 

Nero is flung across the room and lands with a pained grunt. He staggers to his feet and drags the back of his hand across his mouth, wiping blood away from his freshly split lip. “Alright jackass… Let’s see how you handle this!” The Devil Bringer begins to glow and power suddenly erupts from your son. 

Your jaw drops. Nero’s eyes are glowing the same demonic blue as his arm and the outline of a huge demon looms over his figure. You don’t pay attention to any of this though. Your eyes are locked on the katana now clutched in your son’s hand. “Yamato...?” You whisper, completely stunned. The blade seems to pulse in recognition of your voice and Nero glances at it in confusion before shrugging it off and charging back into the fight. 

After activating his trigger, the battle was completely one sided, Nero landed blow after blow on Agnus and the beetle demon didn’t seem to be able to stop him. While Nero lacked the finesse usually required to wield a blade like Yamato, there was no questioning the power of the legendary sword. You were just struggling to wrap your head around the fact that the blade was in Fortuna. You avoided thoughts on what that must mean for it’s owner. Nope, not going there.

Nero gets a particularly nasty hit in with Yamato and combined with the strength from the Devil Bringer he flings Agnus across the room, who shrieks. “Damn you. DAMN YOU! I will kill you.  _ I will kill you _ !”

Nero struts forward cockily, allowing his trigger to fade, Yamato dissipating. “Is that all you got? I think it’s time to put you out of your misery.” 

Agnus screeches and goes to charge at Nero again but is stopped by several of the Order’s armor suits charging in instead. Your son is obviously caught off guard by the sudden attack and struggles to defend himself as you watch a larger suit approach Agnus, who bows. “Your Holiness.”

_ What? _

Your eyes widen when the armor replies with Sanctus’s voice. “That’s enough Agnus. Go and prepare for activation.”

“Right away.” The beetle-man bows again and flies out of the gap in the wall.

Sanctus turns to look down at Nero for a moment before glancing at you. “Your son is truly impressive Matron, you should be proud of the boy.” He then turns his attention to Kyrie. He lifts her from her prison and begins to exit but pauses at a shout from Nero.

Your son had noticed Sanctus retrieving Kyrie and had flung the knights away before making a mad dash to where the priest hovered. “Let her go! Kyrie!” 

Nero leapt into the air, reaching desperately for the brunet, but missed as His Holiness simply flew higher and out of the teenager’s reach. One of the remaining knights slammed him into the ground as Sanctus watched. “You have indeed inherited Sparda’s power… It makes me wonder what your mother must have done for this to be so.” Sanctus looks at you again and you glare back with a defiant snarl. 

The priest turns and flies away as two more knights pin your son down, who explodes in rage and flings the demons into nearby pillars. Nero staggers towards the exit Sanctus had taken but stops at the sight of the rootlike growths. He falls to his knees and punches the ground with a scream, cracking the stone and damaging the roots beneath. The growth slowly turns white and crumbles away, and you can feel your heart breaking at the sound of your son’s pain.

Seeing one of the suits of armor—now empty—lying nearby, you activate Arachne’s Band. Delicate threads stretch from your fingertips and attach to various points on the armor. Manipulating the strings with your fingers, you direct your puppet to stand and make its way over to you. You know that you can’t manage a task as delicate as unlocking the manacles via this form of control so you simply use the javelin to break the chain holding your arms above your head. The chains rattle as your arms drop and you let out a relieved groan at the release of pressure on your shoulders. 

You deactivate the devil arm and the suit of armor clatters to the ground again as you make your way over to Nero, who is still kneeling in the center of the room. Wordlessly, you embrace him and he clings to you desperately. He sobs into your shoulder as you gently stroke his hair the same way you did when he was small and desperately wish that there was more you could do. 

After a few minutes, he leans back and you discreetly look away as your son rubs his eyes with his sleeve. He looks at you and the broken chains in confusion and you answer his wordless question by rattling the bracelet on your arm and shrugging. “I got a new toy.”

Nero sniffs again and begins inspecting the manacles on your arm. “I don’t know what to do now…” He mumbles before smacking the rusty hinges with the butt of Blue Rose. The cuffs break apart and he tosses the pieces away.

You massage your wrists in an effort to get feeling back in your hands. “Go after her.” You state simply.

Nero looks at you incredulously. “Kyrie was taken by  _ His Holiness _ Mom! If I did that I’d be going against the Order directly!”

You smile gently at him. “And since when have you ever let something like that stop you, hmmm?”

Your son stares at you for a moment before blinking and having the decency to look sheepish, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “Heh. You’re right about that.”

“Of course I am, I’m your mother.” You grin cheekily.

Nero snorts and stands up, hauling you to your feet as well and looks at your wrist curiously. “So what is that, exactly?”

“You know what a devil arm is, right?”

“Yeah…” He said slowly.

“This is Arachne’s Band.”

He stares at you. “Arachne… As in the spider queen?”

You smirk. “Yup.”

“How the fuck did you manage that?!”

“What? Didn’t realize your mom was a badass?” You smugly strut past him towards the door. 

Nero stares after you for a moment before shaking his head and hurrying to catch up. “We have a lot to talk about, don’t we?”

You frown, thinking about the sword now in your son’s possession. “Yeah… We do.”

* * *

You end up trailing after Nero due to the fact that this was the first time you were ever in the Order’s headquarters. Ironically, your time spent unconscious and in captivity had restored a bit of your energy and you were easily able to keep up with your son’s fast pace. You chose to ignore the considering looks Nero kept shooting you. He wasn’t stupid, normal humans wouldn’t be able to maintain the speed the two of you were traveling at for very long. You knew that you’d have some explaining to do after this.

Pausing at an intersection, Nero points down the hallway to the right. “The door at the end of this hall leads to a side exit with a passage to the edge of the city.” He looks down at you, and you’re momentarily stunned at how much he looks like his father. Somehow, he’d grown up without you realizing it. “I’ve got a bad feeling about what’s going to happen, and I’d feel a lot better if you went home to keep an eye on things.” 

You frown. He was right, but you still didn’t like leaving your son on his own in this mess. “Please be careful Nero.”

He hugs you tightly and you’re slightly surprised, Nero didn’t usually go for this sort of affection, but you push your surprise aside and hold him just as tightly. “I will Mom. I promise.” He lets you go and turns to sprint down the left hall.

You watch him go for a moment before making your way down the opposite hallway. Nero was right. Everything that had happened today was leading up to something and you had a terrible feeling about what was to come. After leaving the Order’s headquarters, you were heading straight to the orphanage. You briefly entertained the thought of looking for more survivors, but decided that it would probably be best if you head back for now. If you found someone on the way, great, but your ultimate goal was to protect the people you’d already rescued. Sanctus had sent Agnus to prepare for activation. Activation of _ what _ , exactly? You’re not sure if you wanted to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I FINALLY DID IT!!! I FINALLY MANAGED TO GET THIS DONE!!!!   
> I am truly sorry about the long wait for this but I'd been completely stuck on this chapter for sooooo long. But, I finally did it!   
> My favorite part about this BY FAR, is reader slapping Vergil. That little rant was a blast to write. I also felt the need to include the scene after Nero's fight with Agnus because that moment has always gotten to me and I've always felt that Nero needed a hug right there. So I gave him one. ^_^  
> I also know that canon Nero tends to be a little more hot-headed than how I'm writing him, but I felt that the influence of a parent as he was growing up would have cooled him down a bit and made him more level.  
> As always, I truly appreciate any and all comments. Hearing y'alls input makes me really happy.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! I've recenlty been replaying all of the Devil May Cry series due to the crisis with COVID-19 and I just recently finished DMC4. Now, we all know who Nero's father is, but what about his mother? This particular plot bunny has been bounching around my head for weeks now and I finally caved and started writing it.
> 
> Now, its been several years since I wrote any kind of fanfiction and this is my first reader insert so it might be a little rough around the edges. I will endeavor to update regularly and all constructive criticism is appreciated! While this story will be mostly focused on the familial relationship between Nero and the reader, there will still be some rather serious themes introduced. When they come up I will make sure to update the tags and mention them in the notes of each chapter.
> 
> So sit back, grab your favorite blanket and a cookie, and enjoy copious amounts of tooth-rotting fluff!


End file.
